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Summary Of The Handmaid's Tale

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Recommended: Feminist issues in the handmaid's tale

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I have written this piece for part 4: Literature-Critical Study. It is an article written straight from the interview conducted from Steve Johnson, imaginary figure, with Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale. The interview closely examines how her work portraits the main message of the book: gender significance and Christianity. My written task written with the premise that readers claim that The Handmaid’s Tale is not clearly supporting neither feminism nor anti-feminism, and that readers want Atwood to be clear about the direction of the book and her personal view on feminism. In addition, The Handmaid’s Tale criticizes the Christianity for Christianity’s conservative view by referencing Bible’s content and interpreting …show more content…

This work portraits dystopian world of the United State’s government overthrown by totalitarian Christian theocracy. The book focuses on women under violent, oppressive rules, who are set back in carrying out domestic and reproductive roles. Margaret Atwood speaks to Steve, the reporter of this magazine, about the critical message of her novel: the Feminist movement and Christianity
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SJ: Many of the readers refer to your book as ‘1984 for feminists’ and criticize you for being far-sided feminist.

MA: I do take side of feminism, pretty clearly. The Handmaid’s Tale explores the dreadful consequence of reversal in women’s movement (or status/social role), where feminism has been defeated by conservative Christians. Depicting Gilead as a horrifying society does make my book look …show more content…

How does ‘Love’ specifically represent in gender significance?

MA: If you realized, The Handmaid’s Tale addresses multiple issues that we face today. I wanted to imply surrogacy through the role of handmaids in Gilead. Gilead prohibits ideology of ‘love’ between men and handmaids, also between baby and handmaids. I believe women are respected and valued through the existence of ‘love’. However, the idea of surrogacy clearly appropriates ‘love’ between baby and his/her surrogate-mother, who has taken care of him/her in her own womb for almost 9 months. Hence, surrogate mother loses both her maternal and conjugal love that I believe all ordinary women deserve to receive.

SJ: You have particularly chosen Christian chauvinist as the central power of Gilead government, raising aversion towards to the Christian. Is there any significance of your choice of

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